show your bike trailer! and how you hook it up to your bike!

[MADDAWG]

Re: Three - Way Convertible

This project was inspired by a trailer I saw online. I just imitated the design for the frame and really cheaply. I bought a couple sticks of electrical EMT conduit along with (4) 90 degree bends, and welded it to form a box. I got two 4" angle brackets, cut them in half, and welded them to the frame rails for wheel mounts. Mounted the flatbed with (6) single conduit clips. Then I fabricated a swivel joint to connect the hitch on my Schwinn El Camino. viewtopic.php?f=21&t=69825 Painted it black and added some vintage 20" rear fenders & braces.

(1) I can use it as a flat bed...
The wheels are quick release, and the tow bar is bolted to the inside of the frame and is removable. For storage, the whole thing with the exception of the wood box comes apart with just a few bolts.

(2) Add the box I built ( inspired by pick up truck side boards) with a tailgate for my cooler or dog...

(3) Bolt on one, or two steel car top carrier rails to haul my other bikes.

Nice bike hauler

 

[ratTED]

Re: Three - Way Convertible

Nice bike hauler[/quote]
Thanks! Let's see some more creations - anyone else out there with a home built trailer?

 

[kim_dude]

Here's the Mini Tiki, a rolling tiki bar...

This thing is freaking fantastic!!!

 

[eric31485]

My daughter ride...

 

[LukeTheJoker]

This whole set up rocks!

Luke.

 

[mastronaut]

AWESOME! Here are all mine hahahah!

 

[jats]

hey a site for trailer lovers how cool is this!!!!!! so here is what I started with


and this is how it looks now just have to modify the hitch a little!!



next will be adding some atachments etc. kind of wondering about the hard shell trailers? do they float?????

:roll: :lol: :lol:

Troy

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Pretty much a stock trailer for now but I did add the 1955 license plate thing between the rear reflectors to give it a little style. Eventually I'm going to make a completely custom trailer but this one's a workhorse so I don't want to make it too nice or it'd just get beat up.

 

[rickpaulos]

My most used trailer. v3. aka "the Lincoln Highway"

It started out as an Instep child trailer. It was missing all the nylon when I got it. I used a Harbor Freight pallet (thin wood there!) and built the box. I painted it in the Lincoln Highway sign motif as we live just a couple blocks from it and our local grocery store is on the Lincoln Highway. I was going to do a woody theme but I wanted lots of visibility. Standard Instep/Schwinn hitch. The tall sides make it great for hauling most anything. No worrys about stuff falling off. Takes 50 pound bags of cat food, litter or bird seed. Objects too big for most bikes fit just fine. Shop vac, folding table or chairs.
The bike is a Magna mtb I converted to coaster brake and painted up like the Partridge Family bus.

 

[rickpaulos]

My second trailer. v2.
Built on the ruins of my first that failed on it's maiden ride.

Half inch plywood base. Corner brackets are pvc house corner boards. Sides are steel 2x4's from the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Box base has a rubber mat. Wheels are from Northern Tool on a 0.5" solid axle. 2 under rails are from an old bed frame. The axle fits thru 2 holes in that frame that helps spread the load. The tow bar is a piece of back yard kid play ground set. 2" diameter with a nice curve to it. Bolted to the underside of the deck. The hitch is just a 4 inch wide L bracket bolted to the axle. I use a 3" long bolt as the connection.

I've hauled up to 6 bikes at one time in it. That's about 300 pounds. The single solid axle allows for hauling much more weight without putting a twisting force on the frame (see model 1 failure).

I painted the boring galvanized steel 2x4s with gold crinkle paint. The corner boards got red paint and 2" wide reflector tape for more visibility.
The box is 6.5 feet long. Not meant for human transport!

I decorated it the past 2 winters for the local xmas parade. Recreated the 3 wise men scene with lots of lights.

6 bikes on board.

2012 parade rigs

 

[jats]

wow that is a cool trailer!! have any problems stopping? I think I have a brake idea was gonna try after the build off on the other trailer I have

Troy

 

[rickpaulos]

My first trailer. v1.
the intent was to make a bike hauler with 3 inverted steel 2x4s to act as wheel troughs. 10 feet long! Well, not long enough to fit 2 bikes end to end. I used some old bed frame parts for the under frame. I pop riveted every thing together. The wheels are 16" with solid bolt on one side axles. That was the main downfall. The lack of a solid axle from side to side meant the weight put a twisting load on the wheels which transferred to the bed frame rails that ripped the pop rivets out. You can see the wheels leaning in quite a bit. I used this trailer just one time. Rode about 6 miles round trip to the local Habitat for Humanity Restore to get more steel 2x4s plus I scored a nice little folding camp chair. I barely made it home. Live and learn. Took a few photos and dismantled it.

ready to go:

home again

wheels tilting inwards, breaking rivets, tires rubbing.

 

[rickpaulos]

wow that is a cool trailer!! have any problems stopping? I think I have a brake idea was gonna try after the build off on the other trailer I have

Troy

Since I was posting 3 times for 3 trailers, I'm not sure which you are referring too. But no I don't have any brake issues with any of them. The 6.5 footer fully loaded is so heavy, it's hard to get it going fast enough to need much for brakes. Just the lousy pressed steel side pulls on the Roadmaster are enough. The Lincoln Highway is always attached to the arty Magna with just a coaster brake and that works fine. I usually try to avoid routes with hills as pulling any trailer up hill is more work than I want.

rick

 

[jats]

wow that is a cool trailer!! have any problems stopping? I think I have a brake idea was gonna try after the build off on the other trailer I have

Troy

Since I was posting 3 times for 3 trailers, I'm not sure which you are referring too. But no I don't have any brake issues with any of them. The 6.5 footer fully loaded is so heavy, it's hard to get it going fast enough to need much for brakes. Just the lousy pressed steel side pulls on the Roadmaster are enough. The Lincoln Highway is always attached to the arty Magna with just a coaster brake and that works fine. I usually try to avoid routes with hills as pulling any trailer up hill is more work than I want.

rick

cool, when I toured with a trailer coming off of the cascade mountains was rather intense and had to replace a set of brake pads bought in Sweet Home Oregon form a Ace hardware!!!!

Troy

 

[mastronaut]

Made the mobile unit! I took off the canvas that was tearing with just a breeze, there are a couple snaps with it loaded as it would be for a house call. 8)

 

[jats]

wow!!!!! that is a cool set up mastronaut could you show how the mirror brake set up works?

Troy

 

[mastronaut]

wow!!!!! that is a cool set up mastronaut could you show how the mirror brake set up works?

Troy

Thanks! I took the brake off and used the housing for the bar end mirror. It doesn't show much but the crank, but it looks cool as all heck...

 

[jats]

wow!!!!! that is a cool set up mastronaut could you show how the mirror brake set up works?

Troy

Thanks! I took the brake off and used the housing for the bar end mirror. It doesn't show much but the crank, but it looks cool as all heck...

sweet :!: :!:

 

[Chips_Mahoy]

I'm about to build my first trailer. I just test fitted the hitch on the bike:

All of these trailers are great!

ratTED--Your trailers are ridiculously cool!!

 

[rickpaulos]

This was a group project at our local bike coop for the local Freedom Festival. Trike & Trailer.

The trike was completely dismantled and repainted and rebuilt.
The trailer was modified with the Statue of Liberty cutouts made of 1/2 plywood and painted by two different local artists.

ready to go at the parade site.

The trailer with the hitch folded under and the jogging wheel added for stability for display.
It's about 7 feet tall.